Khalifa Foundation, Roche support publishing of first international medical recommendations for treating cancer patients during COVID-19

ABU DHABI, A team of cancer treatment specialists from around
the world published the first international medical recommendations for
treating cancer patients during the coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic.

These recommendations are based on a study entitled: “A
Practical Approach to the Management of Cancer Patients during the Novel
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic.”

Emirati physician Humaid Al-Shamsi, Consultant of Oncology and
Cancer Diseases, Associate Professor at the University of Sharjah and President
of the Emirates Cancer Society, led the study, which was funded by the Khalifa
bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation and Roche.

Mohammed Haji Al Khouri, Director-General of the Khalifa bin
Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, stated that the Foundation supports scientific
research around the world, to maintain human health regardless of religion,
race, colour, sex or language, stemming from the UAE’s approach to tolerance
and humanity reflected by the international humanitarian stances taken by its
leadership.

Al Khouri stressed that supporting scientific research,
especially during the current crisis, is one of the Foundation’s priorities,
noting that the international cooperation between the group of international
experts, under the supervision of the Emirates Cancer Foundation, is a global
achievement for the UAE.

Al Khouri thanked Dr. Al Shamsi and the scientific team that
prepared the study while expressing his aspiration that it will give hope to
many cancer patients from around the world during the current crisis.

“We have seen the dangers that cancer patients across the
world are facing during the current coronavirus pandemic, as well as the
absence of any international recommendations for treating them during the
crisis. That is why we decided to bring together international experts to make
recommendations as soon as possible, to establish a global reference for all cancer
therapists. We, therefore, cooperated with the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Foundation and the Swiss company, Roche, a pioneer in the field of healthcare
and oncology technology, to collect data from Hubei in China, as well as from
Italy, Taiwan, Singapore, the US, Canada and Kuwait.

The study was supervised by the Emirates Cancer Foundation,
under the umbrella of the Emirates Medical Association, EMA. We worked around
the clock for three weeks and came up with recommendations for the first time
in the world on dealing with cancer patients during the coronavirus
pandemic,” Al Shamsi said.

“This constructive body of work, which is intended to help
cancer patients all over the world, reflects the UAE’s approach of tolerance
and lending a helping hand to others under all circumstances,” he added.

The study was published in the latest edition of ‘The
Oncologist’, a medical journal dedicated to best care practices for cancer
patients.

The study concluded that consideration of risk and benefit for
active intervention in cancer population during an infectious disease pandemic
must be individualised, and postponing elective surgery or chemotherapy for
cancer patients with low risk of progression should be considered on a
case-by-case basis.

It also recommended minimising outpatients’ visits and elective
admissions to help mitigate exposure and possible further transmission of
COVID-19.

Roche, a world leader in healthcare, said this unprecedented
cooperation that brought together leading experts from all over the world to
develop a cure for cancer. The company renewed commitment to supporting all
types of scientific research and commended the determination shown researchers,
doctors and international pharmaceutical companies to curb COVID-19.

Dr. Mouza Abdullah Al Sharhan, President of Emirates Medical
Association, said this breakthrough reflects the Association’s keen support to
all efforts in medical and scientific fields. She praised the role played by
the Emirates Oncology Society in establishing collaboration with the leading
research institutes to publish and implements latest research findings in the
UAE.

Professor Conghua Xie, Department of Radiation Oncology Zhongnan
Hospital of Wuhan University Wuhan, China, said although being the first city
in the world to experience the outbreak of coronavirus had its negative
connotations, but the the crisis provided doctors there with a huge experience
to deal with such cases.

“Such research papers keep the doctors and specialists
informed and help them deal with this virus. This initiative shows the UAE’s
interest in contributing to defeat this pandemic.

Dr. Waleed Alhazzani, Professor of Critical Care, Department of
Medicine, McMaster University in Canada, said the study recommendations were
carefully reviewed to ensure their accuracy worldwide and to serve as a
reference to cancer therapists.

Professor Melvin L.K. Chua, Clinician-Scientist at the National
Cancer Centre Singapore, said this cooperation underlines the desire of medical
research experts to assist their fellow physicians in taking the right
decisions for cancer patients at these difficult times.

Dr. Robert Wolff, Professor of Medicine in the Department of GI
Medical Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, United States, said
the study is expected to increase awareness among cancer therapists across the
world on taking the right decision when treating cancer patients.

Dr. Giuseppe Curigliano, Associate Professor of Medical Oncology
at University of Milano, Italy, said the Italy’s bitter experience had
motivated him be part of the study, in order to transfer knowledge and
expertise to the whole world.

Dr. Nuhad Ibrahim, Professor of Hematology and Oncology at
Anderson Cancer Center, said the UAE has always been in the forefront in
support of medical and scientific research.

Dr. Cathy Eng, Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Oncology)
at Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, United States, said this is the first
global cooperation of its kind and expressed the hope that further
collaboration on cancer and COVID-19-reltaed research will unfold soon.

Dr. Brandon M. Meyers, Associate Professor, Medical Oncologist,
Juravinski Cancer Centre, Canada, expressed appreciation to the UAE for the
vital role it plays in support of medical and scientific research.

Dr. Axel Grothey, medical oncologist and Director of
Gastrointestinal Cancer Research at West Cancer Center and Research Institute,
United States, said this unique initiative opens door for future research
collaboration.

Dr. Tarek Elfiki, Professor at University of Western Ontario,
Canada, described the study as a fruit of collaboration among a group of best
specialists and practitioners from various parts of the world. He thanked the
UAE for supporting this important research work.

Dr. Ahmad Alhuraiji, Professor of Hematology, Blood and Marro
Transplant at Kuwait Cancer Control Center, said he was pleased to be part of
this one of a kind international collaboration. He praised the team’s hard
work, noting that the study findings, which usually take months to prepare,
were prepared in less than three weeks.

Dr. Meshari Almuhanna, from the Department of Surgery, Min-Sheng
General Hospital in Taiwan, said the study findings and recommendations were a
result of first hand experience with cancer patients who were exposed to
COVID-19.

“The recommendations of the study constitute a nucleus of
experiences the different team members went through, in the hope that they will
be useful in improving conditions of the cancer patients all over the
world,” he added.

Dr. Eric A. Coomes, from Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto,
Canada, said it was critical for all specialists to collaborate at this time to
develop the correct recommendations to cancer patients.

Dr. Sebastien J. Hotte, Professor of Oncology at the Juravinski Cancer
Centre in Canada, said that this collaboration, which involved countries
severely affected by COVID-19 like China, Italy and Taiwain, provided a wealth
of information on how to deal with coronavirus-infected cancer patients.

“Transferring this knowledge to the world was very
difficult due to current pressure all doctors of the world are going through.
This study would have not been developed without the support provided (by the
UAE) to scientific research.